Favorite Mr. Misunderstood seeks repeat in KDP Tourist Mile

Flurry Racing Stables’ Mr. Misunderstood figures to be one of the heaviest favorites among the five $100,000 turf stakes on Sunday’s Kentucky Downs Preview Day. 

Mr. Misunderstood is one of two 2018 winners who return, having captured last year’s Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile at 4-5 odds over Siem Riep.

Also seeking a repeat victory is Jazzy Times, who won last year’s Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint at 15-1 odds.

Mr. Misunderstood came into last year’s race off of a victory in Churchill Downs’ Grade Wise Dan Stakes.

This year, he was third in Churchill allowance victory in his only start since capturing the Grade 3 River City. 

“He ran well last time,” trainer Brad Cox said. “Honestly, I thought I had him really, really fit. He’s a horse who carries a lot of weight for a 5-year-old gelding. But he’s ready. I thought he was ready last time. I think the mile and an eighth kind of got the best of him. He didn’t quite respond like we expected. But cutting back to a mile I think is a positive.

“He had the race at Ellis last year. He has experience over there in this race. I think he’ll run well. I look him to move forward second race off the layoff.”

Mr. Misunderstood is the 2-1 favorite in Jimmy McNerney’s morning line for the near-capacity field of 11.

The only stakes favorite who is a lower price is the Peter Miller-trained Surrender Now, who is the one to catch in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint and who won a $53,000 open allowance race at the same 5 1/2-furlong distance on turf at Ellis in her prior start.

The five $100,000 turf stakes will compromise a Pick 5 on races 6-10. Admission and parking are free at Ellis Park.

Kentucky Downs Preview Day was created as a means to have Ellis Park fill a void in the Midwest stakes calendar, to have a signature day of summer racing and also to provide Kentucky horsemen and others a place to prep at home for the big-money stakes at Kentucky Downs.

It also showcases the value of having Kentucky-bred horses, with $25,000 of each purse going to horses who were born and sired in the commonwealth, which is the lion’s share of horses running.

The purse money and Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund supplements for the stakes are part of the $5 million generated at Kentucky Downs and transferred to Ellis Park’s purse account through an arrangement with the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association and, in the case of the KTDF money, approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission upon recommendation of its KTDF advisory committee.

The winners of each stakes will receive an entry fees-paid spot in the corresponding stakes at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 31 and Sept. 7.

Kentucky Downs’ three-date meet runs Aug. 31 and Sept. 5, 7, 8 and 12. 

Cox also has the Brazilian-bred Arrocha and Factor This in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Downs Preview Kentucky Turf Cup that caps the card.

Factor This comes in off two front-running allowance victories, first at Keeneland and then at Ellis Park. 

“We claimed this horse last year at Saratoga,” Cox said, referring to a $62,500 claiming race last Aug. 8. “We thought it was a good claim at the time. We stepped him up and tried a few stakes. He was heavily raced prior to claiming him. We backed off him, brought him back, gave him the winter off. Thought we’d give him a shot on the dirt at Oaklawn — didn’t work out. But he was training really well and it didn’t surprise us at all when he won at Keeneland.

“He’s out of a Singspiel mare. We’re hoping he’ll take to the added ground; he’s never been this far for us, a mile and quarter. He looks amazing. He’s hopefully a horse who is moving forward as a 4-year-old as a stakes horse.”

Arrocha makes his first start for Cox after being trained by Chad Brown for his two U.S. starts following his career in Brazil, where he was a multiple Grade 1 winner at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

The 5-year-old horse gets a class drop, having been last of eight over soft turf in Belmont’s Fort Marcy, then sixth over good turf in Monmouth Park’s United Nations (G1).

“Obviously he’s a proven horse, having been very competitive in South America,” Cox said. “Chad had the horse. He came to us in great shape, he did a great job with the horse. He’s had three works since we picked him up. He responded well. He looks great. We’re trying to get his form turn around. His two starts in America haven’t been great.

“Honestly, it’s a class relief. The horse was in the Fort Marcy and the United Nations against graded-stakes horses. He’s going to have to step up and run Sunday. He’s going to have to show more than he’s shown in his last few starts. His energy level is great. We’ll see what happens on Sunday.”